Coffee Shop Help!
by ginkaa
Summary: AU. Maka Albarn has finally opened her own dream coffee shop. But what happens when Soul Eater Evans, a man of wealth and prestige, ends up turning to her for help to save him from a series of unfortunate events?
1. Chapter 1

If you've clicked the link to this story, thanks for doing so. I just wanted to say that the grammar could do with some work. So if you see a mistake, please, please, please, let me know! I'm a perfectionist that way… But I hope you enjoy it all the same.

Just to remind you, this is an **alternative universe** piece, and has nothing to do with the world of souls, weapons, and meisters. I do not own any of the characters, and neither do I have any affiliation with the organizations mentioned. This is purely fictional work.

Thanks and enjoy!

* * *

The minute Maka stepped into the two-story apartment she knew that this was it. It wasn't very often she fell in love with a place so easily, but there was something charming about Port Loamswater that made her feel at ease.

She breathed in the strong smell of new paint and smiled. Maka walked through what would be her new living room and gave a little twirl. It was essential that the place made her feel good. She believed that good atmosphere greatly constituted to one's mood and feelings, and in almost every sense, the place was perfect, modest.

She looked down at the brochure again, two bathrooms, two bedrooms, a living room, and a kitchen. She nodded her head in approval; with a bit of tweaking here and there, she knew that she would have her dream home in no time. Maka let out a giggle and dashed towards the balcony.

"Wow…" Maka said to herself, breathing in the salty air. The wind caressed her cheeks and swept through her long light brown hair. The lazy boats riding along the rolling waves looked like a postcard, and far off into the distance she could see the coast of California. Maka imagined the sunrise and sunset from her viewpoint, it would be breathtaking and simply romantic. Looking down over the railing, she smiled. She was instantly greeted with Port Loamswater's busy Main Street with its colorful cars and picture- snapping tourists.

It was the perfect weekend getaway from the bustling city. It was only half an hour off the coast, and she was absolutely positive that she and her business would thrive here. Without a second thought, Maka looked over to her real estate agent with a killer watt smile.

"S-so, I take it that it's t-to your liking then?" The scrawny man said timidly. He was wringing his hands nervously and his palms were unbelievably sweaty.

"I'll take it." Maka clasped her hands behind her back. "I'll take it for all it's worth!" She laughed and rushed back inside.

* * *

It was a done deal. Maka had already signed all the necessary papers and was more than eager to get going. She was back in Los Angeles in her father's town house, packing up most of her belongings. She had already called the movers and all her furniture was gone. Giddiness bubbled in her stomach at the thought of living alone, away from her womanizing father.

But first, she thought, a snack. And as if on cue, her stomach grumbled. With a shrug, she walked down the brightly lit hallway, passing by walls adorned with expensive contemporary artwork. Maka scoffed, she never understood the appeal of an empty canvas with a dot of paint. There was neither technique nor creativity behind a splatter of color. And it still made her wonder why people, like her father, paid ridiculous amounts of money for something a three year old could do.

In no hurry, she strolled by a number of empty richly furnished guestrooms. She was alone, just the way she liked it. She stepped down the grandeur marble staircase, greatly thankful that her sorry excuse of a father was not there. He always fawned over how beautiful she looked each time she descended from her room.

She rolled her eyes. He was just too much sometimes... Maka shook her head. Scratch that. He was just too much all the time. She remembered how she always made an effort to stay as far away as possible from her father and his… lady friends. A surge of anger coiled up inside of her. She scowled. Men were such pigs. Not all she admitted, but most, and her father definitely topped the list.

Crossing the extremely white and extremely minimalist foyer, she pushed open the swinging doors into the checker-tiled kitchen. Chef Anthony was cooking something that smelled absolutely wonderful.

Maka could feel her mouth watering. There was always something stewing, brewing, or marinating. He wasn't the best Le Cordon Bleu chef for nothing, he'd often tell her with a wink.

His life story was a tale Maka never grew tired of, a poor child in the streets of London pursuing his dreams to be a worldwide chef. The passion, the sweat, and the backbreaking work were what fascinated her. Never had she met someone so hardworking. He was the total opposite of her lazy bachelor father.

In many ways, it was Anthony's story that inspired and drove her to work hard for her own dream, to manage her own coffee shop where guests could relax and enjoy good food. She was quite the cook herself, thanks to Anthony's professional training. And now she was close, so close to reaching her goal.

At the sound of swinging doors, Anthony looked over his shoulder and smiled. Maka always liked it when Anthony smiled. There was kindness and a hint of mischievousness when his clear blue eyes crinkled that way. He was like a second father to her.

"Ah, just the girl I was looking for!" He gleefully beckoned her over to the stove. "Try this. Special recipe of mine, but it's pipin' hot." Anthony carefully dipped the spoon into the pot and let Maka have a taste. A cautious sip later had her squealing in delight.

"It's delicious! What's in it?" She greedily grabbed another spoonful.

"A secret, my dear." Anthony wiggled his eyebrows.

"Mmmm… It would be another great recipe for my menu." Licking her spoon, she gave Anthony a cheeky smile.

"Oh, no you don't. I know exactly what you're doing, you sly little foxy you. And you're not guilt trippin' me into giving you another one of me recipes, you hear?" Anthony set the spoon down and steered her towards the little booth in the corner. He sat her down and leisurely filled her a glass of wine. Wiping his hands, he settled next to her with a glass of his own.

"Anthony, shame on you, it's not even noon!" She said teasingly, giggling as she reached for her glass. She swirled it around before taking a sip.

"'Oh, pish-posh', is what me ma'am would say. It's nice in' it?" Anthony smiled. Maka nodded and took another small sip.

"A… Sauvignon Blanc, right?" Maka guessed, looking at him hopefully.

"Nice try, love, but it's a Chardonnay."

"Same thing…" Maka grumbled. Anthony gave her the stink eye. But then again, maybe not, she decided as she sunk lower into her seat. He laughed and ruffled her hair.

"Alright, enough of that. Now tell me, love, about the movers."

Maka's eyes lit up instantly. "Well, I leave the day after tomorrow. It's such a charming place! You'd love it, Port Loamswater. Quite touristy actually, which will be great business for my coffee shop. It's perfect, it's right below the apartment. I'll take you there when everything's set up."

"Sounds good," Anthony gave a little wink, "Oh, I'll miss you." Anthony shook his head sadly. "What am I going to do when the boss brings in one of the lady friends? No one else will be willin' to put laxatives into their foods except for you, love."

Maka laughed loudly at that. "Oh, remember that one time we accidently put rat poison in, what's her name's food… Courtney! Her dessert thinking that it was salt instead of sugar? I always did wonder who switched the salt with the rat poison…" Maka grinned.

Anthony snorted. "Oh yes, darling, with that Cheshire cat of a smile, I _really _wonder who switched the two." His sarcasm had her batting her lashes at him innocently. He gave a hearty laugh and pulled her into a hug. "I'm really going to miss you." Maka squeezed him tightly. She was going to miss him too, she thought sadly.

* * *

Well that's all for now. Chapter two will be up hopefully soon…?


	2. Chapter 2

So finally, for all you lovely people who favorite-ed and alerted my story, thank you so much! Much LOVE! I'm sorry it's taken so long and thanks for your patience :) Here's chapter 2! Again, I do not own any of the characters or have any kind of affiliation with the mentioned organizations.

Enjoy!

* * *

It was half past four in the morning when Soul Eater Evans stumbled into his New York penthouse apartment, dizzy with alcohol. He and his best friends were out drinking until they drunk themselves silly. A chugging contest, he remembered. It was kind of fuzzy after that, but it was one hell of a night.

Stumbling further in, he cursed loudly when he bumped his hip hard into the dining table. He undid the knot in his tie and threw it aside before unbuttoning his shirt.

He was just about to head towards the bedroom when he realized he wasn't alone. He jumped and nearly yelled when his disjointed brain registered who it was that was sitting in his living room.

"Mother!" Soul clutched a hand to his chest. "Scared the shit out of me! Don't know how to knock?" Soul grumbled and checked the microwave clock. "Or come at a decent time maybe?" He tried to shake the fog out of his mind, fighting hard to regain his sense of balance. "What you doin' anyways…"

"I have things to discuss with you."

"At four in the fucking morning?"

"Language, Soul Eater Evans." His mother bristled and her shrill voice sent an icy shiver down his spine. "I am your mother and when I am in your presence, you will refrain from using that foul language with me. I will be frank with you… it is high time that you took responsibility as an Evans man. You are coming to an age where family is most important. Therefore, I have decided that you will court a woman of my choosing and marry her for the sake of keeping our heritage and family alive."

Soul blinked. What the hell?

"Wait, hold on. I don't think I got that."

"Oh, you heard me. You"—she slowly stood up—"are going to get married."

"You're kidding me right? Come on isn't this is a little farfetched? Even for you." Soul laughed uneasily.

"I'm sorry, do I look like I am joking?" For the first time that night, his mother let out a cool smile.

Shit. She wouldn't. What was this coming of age and family crap? She made him sound like he was some sad old man. He was only twenty-eight for crying out loud, and now his mother was hooking him up with, only god knows who, to have kids? Soul froze at the idea of having miniature versions of himself running around. No, he was going to have to put his foot down on this one.

"Yes, I will have her profile ready for you in the morning. You _will_ look at it." She said, already heading towards the door.

Just where did that woman think she was going? Soul felt a sudden rush of anger. If she thought she could just waltz on out without surveying the damage she had left behind, she'd have to think again.

"The fuck I am!" Soul yelled after her. "You think just because you're my mother, you have the right? Just who the fuck made you God?" She was about to walk out the door, when Soul hauled her back in. "Just wait one fucking second."

"Why you insolent—Is this how you treat a woman? Your mother no less? I should have you punished for such treatment!"

But despite her shrieks of fury, Soul refused to let go. "What mother? I don't see a mother." Soul seethed. "And what about Wes, huh? Does he have you badgering him about marriage?"

"Your brother is perfectly capable of finding a suitable young woman. And if he chooses to marry, that is his decision."

Soul growled. "So he has a choice, but I don't? That's just so typical of you! Of course he can. Why did I even bother to ask? He's just so fucking _perfect_ isn't he?"

"I will not have this conversation with you." His mother jerked her arm back. "You _will_ meet her."

As abruptly as she came she left, leaving him numb and cold standing in his doorway.

* * *

Soul was back in his office five hours later, nervously drumming his fingers on the expensive dark oak desk. He felt like a wreck, and glancing at his reflection in the window, he groaned, he certainly looked like one too. His mother's words had him up for the remainder of the morning, and just as she had said, the pale yellow folder was here. In his office. On his desk.

He peeked at the folder again through his fingers. "Man up Evans, it's not going to bite…" With a deep breath, Soul picked up the folder and tentatively opened it.

Out fell a picture.

The first word that came to his mind was pretty, not bad. He skimmed over her profile. Tsubaki Nakatsukasa, a Japanese descent and daughter of… Soul's eyes narrowed dangerously and snarled. Of course his mother would, he thought her last name sounded familiar.

Without a second thought, Soul threw the folder onto his desk and ran a hand through his untidy hair. There was no way in hell he was going to let his mother put him through a loveless marriage.

Soul snorted. But then again, what marriage? More like business transaction.

He was just about to dump the file into the bin when a knock came from the door.

"Yes?" Soul said stiffly. He flattened his hair and adjusted his tie.

His secretary quietly announced that he had a visitor, only to have his boisterous friend burst through the door with a wide grin on his face.

"I, the great Black*Star, have arrived! Bask in my glorious presence!"

Despite the oncoming headache, Soul chuckled. Never changed that one, he thought. "Good to see you too…" Soul murmured, messaging his temples. "Mind turning it down a notch?"

"Soul, my man! You called?" They bumped fists before Black*Star took a seat. "Looks like you still haven't recovered from our chugging contest."

Soul wordlessly gave him the folder. Black*Star raised a brow. He opened it, his eyes scanning across the page.

That's what he liked best about Black*Star. He could be serious when he needed to be. But he was usually good company. He was wild and crazy, albeit a little self-centered, but fun. He had his moments.

"So, what do you think? You know her?" Soul asked. But Black*Star didn't respond right away.

"Yeah, I know her." He replied. A little too seriously, Soul thought.

He peered at him curiously, "Like know, _know_ her?"

Black*Star grinned at him cheekily, "Who doesn't the great Black*Star know? Of course I know her, daughter of the CEO of EMI, the Electronics & Music Industry. Hot body..." Black*Star wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

"And you know this how?" But before Soul could finish, Black*Star punched him in the shoulder. "I was just asking! And it's not like you haven't slept with other women before." Soul winced, rubbing his shoulder.

"What's with the file?" He was staring at the picture again. Well this was a first. He had a dazed look on his face, which was surprising considering that Black*Star had an attention span of a two year old. Soul was surprised at his interest in the woman, and he rarely got serious over… Oh. Oh hells no.

"Wait, hold up. That expression… do you," Soul hesitated, "like her…?"

Soul was expecting a loud declaration of 'how she is not worthy of my love' type of speech, but was instead met with a silent and small shrug.

Fuck.

Anybody who knew Black*Star would know that that small and noncommittal shrug meant yes. Yes in big capital letters. Exclamation point.

"Shit…" Soul pinched the bridge of his nose. He saw Black*Star's eyes narrow. "We're getting… married apparently." Soul struggled to get the last bit out. He was met with a few seconds of silence before the room was engulfed in a howl of laughter. "Well, I'm glad you find it so amusing." Soul said bitterly.

"Wait, you're kidding right?" Black*Star chuckled, trying his best to calm down.

"And why the fuck would I be joking about something like this?" Soul said through clenched teeth. He had had enough of this crap. He couldn't seem to keep his cool. He usually handled stress pretty well, but that was work, this was his personal life, two very different matters. Slamming his hands on his desk, he started pacing in front of the window.

He needed to get out of New York, far, far away from all this drama, and more importantly, from his mother. He needed time to think things through and untangle himself from the whole situation.

But his work… Soul wanted to rip his hair out in frustration. He wanted to leave, just for a little while. But that wouldn't be right, he couldn't just leave without notice. Soul groaned and shook his head, resting his forehead on the cool glass.

Scratching the back of his head, Black*Star stood up, unsure of what to say for once. "Look… you don't like her right?" Black*Star heard the uncertainty in his voice and winced. He didn't like how strongly he felt for the dark haired girl. But just because he didn't like it, didn't mean he wasn't going to acknowledge it. What kind of man would he be if he couldn't be honest with his own feelings?

But looking at her picture wasn't the first time he'd seen her. They had actually met at one of Kid's rooftop parties. Kid had introduced them, and surprisingly enough, he had found her pleasant to talk to. A big feat for most of the women he knew. He usually found them desperate and extremely annoying.

But Tsubaki Nakatsukasa was different. She was quiet he found out. And it baffled him at how well they got along, he wasn't usually attracted to the quiet and shy types. He didn't believe that they possessed any sort of personality. But there was something undoubtedly sexy and mysterious about her, something special that made him _want_ to get to know her. This again was a new concept for him. He didn't want to sound like a dick, but with his god-like charm, most women fell at his feet, and it wasn't very often that he had the opportunity to chase.

For the rest of the evening, he watched over her. But as he continued to watch her from afar, he realized that she was quite the social butterfly.

She was elegant, demure, and had a way with people. And when she laughed… he thought he felt his heart stop and his stomach flip and all the girly shit they wrote in the books and movies. And that's when he knew that he, the great Black*Star, was whipped.

It surprised him, really, that a girl could turn him, the mighty one and only Black*Star, into a frazzled ball of nerves. And for once in his life, he felt shy.

Shyness had never been in his vocabulary. He had always been the life of the party and was constantly making new acquaintances. But it was just _her_, and that's what frustrated him. He wasn't even man enough to buy her a drink that night. And if he couldn't do that, then how on earth was he going to carry a conversation with her if they ever met up again? But that wasn't going to be a problem for him. He loved challenges, and this would be his biggest one yet.

But right now, this wasn't about him, this was about Soul. And this was going to be his problem if his best friend ended up marrying hi_s _girl. Black*Star frowned at that._ His _girl? He was going to have to see a doctor for sure. "Well, if you don't like her, just don't marry her."

"No way." Soul said in mock astonishment. "Why the fuck didn't I think of that?" Soul snarled.

Black*Star bit his tongue and exhaled loudly. Having Soul give him attitude wasn't something he dealt with very often. It was usually the other way around, and Black*Star knew that patience was something he sorely lacked, but he was trying.

Soul closed his eyes. "Sorry. Just stressed and tired. "

"You want out, right?" Soul nodded in return. Black*Star dug his hand into his pocket and pulled out his blackberry. Soul sat back down and laid his head on the table. He could hear Black*Star furiously typing away. He knew he could count on him. "Ok, so I just e-mailed—Oh. That was fast." A small alarm rang from the little black device, indicating a new received message. Black*Star's eyes quickly scanned the screen before he looked up at Soul. "You are going to love me."

Soul shot out of his seat. "What. What is it?"

"HAHAHA! I, the great Black*Star, have once again saved your sorry ass!"

"What do you mean once again?" Soul laughed, suddenly feeling hopeful. "Who is it? What does it say?"

"How does California sound?" Black*Star smiled smugly. "A good friend of mine just opened a small business." Black*Star held out his hands in defense, "Don't worry, I didn't tell her anything. She said that she'd be happy to let you stay for a couple of weeks."

Soul smiled. This was great, almost too good to be true. He was already thinking about all the things he needed for his trip before reality hit him. A cloud of depression loomed over him. "And what about my work here?"

"Easy." Black*Star shrugged. "You can work through phone calls and e-mails right? It's not like you need your office."

He did have a point. A big chunk of his job was to find and record new upcoming artists. He was satisfied with his job, and felt deeply humbled with such a high position. He had started fresh out of college. And because it was such a big decision for the board, Soul made sure that they didn't, and wouldn't regret their decision in making him head manager.

He was currently one of the few head managers in the largest music industry in the world. What was there not to be content about? Plus, he grew up with music in his life.

But Soul quickly learned that his job wasn't all fun and games. He had learned early on that it was a cutthroat business, and unfortunately had to learn that the hard way. He will never forget the taste of failure. The music industry was a harsh place to be in. Just the sound of a holiday was heaven to his ears.

A break. The thought of having one made Soul smile. It was exactly what he needed. Since he'd started working for the Evans Music Group, he didn't have time to relax and to take trips. And when he did, he thought he'd save his vacation blocks, just in case. And thank god for that, because boy, did he need them now. Soul was suddenly very pleased with himself. He had almost six months worth of vacation blocks, and he could finally use it all up. Grinning, Soul stood up and shook Black*Star's hand. "You've got yourself a deal. Thanks man, knew I could count on you."

Black*Star laughed loudly. "Of course you can, since when have I ever let you down? Ok, so take my plane to Port Loamswater." Soul gave him a look. "What? You want your mother finding you? Look, if you take my plane, it'll be harder for her to track you down." Looking down at his blackberry again, Black*Star nodded in approval. "The plane leaves later this week. Call me later. Anyways, I gotta go. Can't have you hogging all of my attention now can we?" Bumping fists again, Soul thanked him. Black*star snickered. "Yeah, you'll thank me alright… call me when you arrive, we'll need to sort out your mother when she finds out you're gone. Oh, and don't worry about Tsubaki. I've got you covered."

Before Soul could get another word in, Black*Star had already left.

* * *

Author stuff: I like Black*Star and there's so much more to him than that God-wannabe facade. And as much as Black*Star proclaims to be God worthy, he's still human. We all know that deep down there somewhere, Black*Star has his own insecurities. And Soul, well you gotta love him :)

I'll try my best to keep them in character as possible. Well, I had loads of fun writing it, and I hope you enjoyed reading it.

Thanks guys and tune in next time for Chapter 3!


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